Egg-crate.



'1. A. JONES.

EGG CRATE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 24. 1914.

Patented Sept. 14;, 1915.

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1 L aww wtbz Jaizrz/ Aidan es.

J. A. JONES.

EGG CRATE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 24, 19141 1,153,495. Patented Sept. 14, 1915.

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um/W120i attomug COLUMBIA PLANOOIAPH (KL-WASHINGTON, D- C.

PATN @FFlf/E.

EGG-CRATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 14, 1915.

Application filed. November 24, 191 Serial No. 873,786.

. and contemplates the provision of a crate primarily intended foruseein the transportation of eggs.

The general object of the invention is to provide a novel constructionof a crate of the above mentioned character wherein the eggs areyieldably supported individually in spaced relation tov each other toavoid breaking or other injury thereof during their transportation.

7 Other objects will appear from the following description considered inconnection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numerals ofreference indicate similar parts in the several views and in which:

. Figure l is a top plan view of the crate. Fig. 2 is a front elevation.Fig. 3 is an end elevation. Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken.on line 4- .1: of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of theupper and lower members of the nest sections. Fig. 6 is a view of theupper section of the paper cup. Fig. 7 is a view of the lower sectionthereof. Fig. 8 is a view of one of the eXpansible rings. Fig. 9 is aView showing the hinged connection .between the rear walls of the cratesections.

The crate essentially consists of an upper and lower box-like section 5and 6 respectively, each section comprising a wire frame structure 7,including spaced parallel side and end bars 8, the upper sectionincluding a top-9 and the lower section the bottom 10 of the crate. Theside and end walls are similarly constructed from wire, which may be ofany suitable mesh and connected to the spaced parallel bars 8constituting the frames 7.. As shown in this particular instance theycomprise the diamond-shaped members 11 connected by the links 12. Theadjacent bars 8 of the front wall of each section are offset inwardly asat 13 to permit certain of the links 12 of the upper and lower sections5 and 6 respectively, which are detachably engaged as at 14: to allowthe upper section 5 to be raised, to lie in the plane of the front wallsof the crate. The rear walls of the section are hingedly conto duringthe transportation. are of a length to engage approximately onenectedtogether in any suitable manner, preferably by means of the hook and eyeconnection 1 1 as shown in Fig. 9, the adjacent bars of the rear wallbeing offset in a manner similar to the offset portions of. the bars 8of the front wall, to permit the hinge connection to lie in the sameplane with the walls of the crate. The top and bottom 9 and 10respectively are similarly construct ed fromwire and comprise a seriesof spaced longitudinally and transversely extending bars 15, and aplurality of ring-like members 16 supported in spaced relation to eachother and to the bars 15 by means of the divergently disposed arms 17,the latter having one end fastened to the bars 15 in the manner shown.As the nests for the eggs are sup-' ported by these rings, there may beas many,

rings employed as desired, this of course de pending wholly upon thedesired size of the crate. As will be obvious from the drawings, theeggs are individually supported within these nests in spaced relation toeach other, to avoid all possibility of the eggs being broken or crackedby coming in contact with each other during their transportation, orunder any other circumstances.

Each nest comprises'two sections, an up per section carried by the top 9of the crate and a lower section carried by the bottom 10 thereof, whileeach of the nest sections consist of four resilient similarlyconstructed fingers 20 disposed in alinement and extending within thecrate from the ring-like members 16 at diametrically opposite points.Each of the fingers 20 preferably consists of a fiat piece of resilientmetal having one end looped around the ring-like members 16 as at 21,and their body portions 22 oppositely curved throughout their length, sothat when the nest sections are superimposed as shown in Fig. l, eachpair of fingers 20 conform to the shape of the egg. This curvature ofthe fingers 20 together with the offset portions 23 formed thereinpermit said fingers, when the eggs are nested, to have a slight verticaland lateral movement to compensate for any rough handling the crate maybe subjected The fingers half of the egg, so that when the nest sectionsare operatively associated, the free ends of the fingers of therespective sections engage each other at approximately the transversecenter of the egg. The free ends of the fingers 20 of the upper nestsections are flanged as at 2a, the latter being engaged by the upwardlyextending flange 25 formed by the free ends of the fingers of the loweralined offsets 26 providing spaced circumferential series thereof, whichreceive the expansible rings 27. These rings as shown in Fig. 8 areformed at diametrically opposite points with resilient offset portions28 there being four of these offsets, one of each being snugly fitted inthe offsets 26 of the fingers 29. The purpose of these rings 27 is toretain the fingers 2O operatively associated to hold an egg with aminimum amount of pressure against the walls of the egg, and to allowthe fingers to expand and contract to accommodate different sizes ofeggs.

Arranged in each of the upper and lower nest sections, is a section 29of a paper cup, in which the eggs are placed, the adjacent edge of eachof the cup sections being formed with a circumferential flange 30held'in contact with each other by means of the flanges 24. and 25 ofthe nest fingers 20 as clearly shown in Fig;

In the use of the crate, the paper cup sec tions 29 are first arrangedin the upper and lower nest sections. The eggs are then placed in thelower sections of the cups, and

as the upper section 5 of the crate is swung to closed position, theupper sections of the cups and nest sections receive the upper half ofthe eggs, and at the same time the flanges 30 of the paper cups areeflectively clamped between the flanges 24 and 25 of the fingers 20. Theupper and lower sections of the crate 5 and 6 respectively are thenlocked by means of the links 12 as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

In the space between the top and bottom 9 and 10 respectively and thebars'8 of the frame 7 is placed a suitable piece of cardboard 31 orother packing material, the same being also arranged against the innerface of the side and end walls as shown.

Manifestly with a crate constructed in the above described manner, eggsmay be shipped without any possibility of becoming broken or injuredirrespective of any rough handling which the crate may be subject toduring transportation. 7

It is believed that from the foregoing description the natureandadvantages of the invention will be readily understood withoutrequiring a more extended explanation Copies of this patent may beobtained for and therefore the same has been omitted. However I desireto have it'understood that various changes in the construction andarrangement of parts maybe resorted to when desired as fall within thescope of the appended claims. 7

What I claim is:

1. A wire egg crate comprising an upper and lower box-like section,cooperating nest sections projecting inwardly'from the top and bottom ofthe crate, each of said nest sections including a plurality of resilientcurved fingers, said fingers having alined offsets, eXpansible ringsarranged within said offsets, and means for locking said crate sectionstogether. i

2. An egg nest comprising superimposed sections, each of saidsectionsincluding a plurality of diametrically opposed resilient fingers, eachof saidfingers having alined offsets, and an eXpansible ring havingoflset portions arranged withinthe oifsets of said fingers.

sections, each of said sections including a plurality of curvedresilient fingers disposed in diametrically opposed relation,:a papercup section arranged in each section, and exsection as and for thepurpose described.

4. An egg nest comprising superimposed sections, each of said sectionsincluding a plurality ofcurved resilient fingers disposed paper cupsection arranged in each of the nest sections, the adjacent endsof saidfingers being flanged to clamp the flanges of the cup sectionstherebetween, and an eX-.

section and secured thereto as and for the purpose described.

5. A wire eggcrate comprising an upper and lower box-like. section,ring-like memthereof, nestsections carried by said rings fingers havingalined offset portions, an exmeans for locking said cratesectionstogether.. 1 V a In testimony whereof I'affix my signature in presenceof two witnesses. A.

. JOHNA. JONES. Witnesses: a

CHARLES A. FOWLER, WILLIAM G. PERRI.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner-jot Patents,

Washington, 13.0. r

. V 3. An egg nest comprising superimposed s5 pansible rings encirclingthe fingers of each in diametrically opposed relation, a flangedpansible ring encircling the fingers of the 1.

V bers supported from the top and bottom

